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The Bahamas, an archipelago of more than 700 islands, stretches from just off the southern tip of Florida more than 750 miles southeastward toward the island of Hispaniola. A British colony for roughly two centuries, the Bahamas became a fully independent nation in 1973. The island nation boasts a rich history and was one of the first spots in the Americas to be visited by European explorers. Several Bahamian sites reflect the country’s colorful history.

San Salvador Island

Island residents and many historians claim that Christopher Columbus first set foot on American soil when he landed on San Salvador Island in October of 1492. Although others claim that distinction for nearby Cat Island, San Salvador is home to Landfall Bay, which commemorates the explorer’s visit. Whatever the truth may be, San Salvador offers plenty to interest history-minded visitors, including the 1887 Dixon Hill Lighthouse and the 1861 offshore shipwreck site of the “HMS Conqueror.” For a bit of pre-Columbian history, visit the archaeological excavations at Pigeon Creek, which have offered clues to the lives of the island’s first inhabitants, Lucayan/Taino Amerindians. San Salvador lies 200 miles southeast of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.

Cat Island

Cat Island, 130 miles southeast of Nassau, contests San Salvador’s claim to be the site of Columbus’ first landfall in the New World. Putting this continuing inter-island debate aside, visitors to Cat Island will find a great deal of other history to explore. They can visit the ruins of two island plantations – Armbrister and Deveaux – that date back to the late 18th century. Not far from Armbrister Plantation is the Mount Alvernia Hermitage, a small stone monastery that was hand-built by the reclusive Father Jerome in the first half of the 20th century. The tiny chapel sits atop 206-foot Como Hill, the highest point in the Bahamas.

Fort Montague

Completed in 1742, Fort Montague sits just east of downtown Nassau on New Providence Island. John Tinker, the British governor of the Bahamas colony at the time, named the fort in honor of the Duke of Montague. The fort, which overlooks Montague Bay and Paradise Island, has a colorful history of its own. In March 1776, American naval forces captured the fort in what was the first U.S. amphibious assault in history. Six years later, Spanish forces seized the fort, which was retaken in 1783 by forces led by Colonel Andrew Deveaux of the South Carolina Militia.

Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle

One of the most visited tourist attractions in all of the Bahamas, the Queen’s Staircase in Nassau dates back to the late 18th century. Hewn from solid limestone, the 65 steps of the staircase stand as a “testament to the tragic power of slave labor,” according to DisneyFamily.com. The Queen’s Staircase is a colorful way to get from the heart of downtown Nassau to Fort Fincastle, which was completed in 1793. Shaped like the bow of a ship, the fort served as a lookout point for pirates and also as a lighthouse.

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About the Author

Don Amerman has spent his entire professional career in the editorial field. For many years he was an editor and writer for The Journal of Commerce. Since 1996 he has been freelancing full-time, writing for a large number of print and online publishers including Gale Group, Charles Scribner’s Sons, Greenwood Publishing, Rock Hill Works and others.